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What is Role of BTU in Air-Conditioning?

People often find themselves confused when picking the right air-conditioner for their homes, although with the right information, it is not as hard as it seems. First things first, before purchasing an air-conditioner, one needs to know exactly how many British Thermal Unit (BTU) one needs.

What is BTU?

A BTU can be understood as the measure of energy. In simple words, a BTU is the quantity of heat required to raise 1 pound of water by 1°F. When you talk about heating and cooling, 1 ton is equal to 12,000 BTU. Simply air conditioners are rated by how much heat they can remove from a space per hour.

BTU estimate as per area:

A vital thing to keep in mind before purchasing any Air-conditioner is the size and the nature of the room. The thing with getting the perfect temperature in a room is directly correlated with choosing an air-conditioner having the accurate amount of BTU needed for the room. The following chart will guide you on how much BTU is needed for different sized rooms.

BTU more than requirement:

If you purchase a unit with the highest possible BTU rating, it may actually cause the unit to operate inefficiently. That’s why the BTU for a room size is so important. If an air conditioners’ BTU rating is too high for the room, it might waste energy cooling it beyond its capacity before it shuts off. To maintain the desired temperature, it will end up cycling-off and ultimately cycling-on again soon after. With such rapid motion of cycling on and off in a short amount of time, the compressor ends up overworking itself and result in shortening the lifespan of the air-conditioner.

BTU less than requirement:

If the unit is undersized, it will have to work too hard to cool off the space and keep you comfortable, thus costing way too much money to run.An air-conditioner which is too small in terms of BTU rating will end up leaving one feeling hot and flustered, and similarly, take a much longer time to cool the room whereby increasing your electricity bill simultaneously.

Other factors such as the floor on which the room is located and the nature of the room are equally important. For instance, cooling a room which is directly under the sunlight would require an extra 10-15% of the recommended BTU on average. Similarly, if the room is being used for a commercial purpose such as an office, an additional 500-600 BTU’s should be added per person. If the nature of the room is as such where higher levels of heat are being generated, such as a kitchen or a factory, it is recommended to add an extra 3000-4000 BTU’s to the recommended room size, in order to achieve the desired cooling.

Expert’s Opinion:

Gree air conditioner experts can advise you about the right size unit for your home and provide expert installation and maintenance services. Once you have sized and installed your AC, maintain it properly for the best possible results. One of the biggest problems with efficiency is improper use. Make sure your windows and doors are closed when operating your unit. Another factor is poor installation, faulty service procedures, and inadequate maintenance. It’s important to keep the unit clean. Clean filters at least once a month. Change them as indicated at least once a year